Thinschmidt German Shepherds Assertive K-9 Training Reviews
Most Useful Comment
Sep 17, 2014
My family and I are completely humbled to say that we fell into this company's trap. We trusted and recommended them to so many and we have recently come to the realization we were taken for fools. Flat out lied to on multiple occasions.
If you are looking to get completely attached to a cute, and furry German Shepherd only to go on a lengthy roller coaster of emotions by all means, this is the place to do it and suffer.
We purchased a 6 month old German Shepherd named Remy from them in September of 2013, from the very week we brought her home she had troubles eating. At that point we chalked it up to her adjusting to a new environment and were able to look past the issue and continue to bond with her. After 11 months of caring for our ill furry family member, thousands of dollars in vet bills, hundreds of hours searching forums for solutions, countless e-mails, and calls to the breeder we were still watching our poor girl wither away. The last 3 months we had her were the worst, vomiting, and expelling red jelly like diahrea every day caused her to lose over 20 pounds. As a puppy, we were shocked that she would turn up her nose to her meals, especially since she was active in our family, walking, and training.
After communicating with Michele that our vet had told us there is nothing more they can do for her or us any longer she insisted that we would re-home her with them as they had extensive insurance to get her all the care she needs. Being that she is such a kind spirited, loving animal I was very very hesitant to proceed, but Michele had assured us that she would be cared for and kept as their family pet. After a brief period of thinking over this very, very, very difficult decision I had forced myself to do the unselfish thing which was to give Remy a chance at being healed. I tearfully released Remy to Michele (without refund) as her striking blue eyes welled up with compassion she looked me straight in the eye and promised me that she would keep Remy, and that she would get her all the veterinary care she needed and that she would personally inform me on her status after 5-6 weeks.
My son, other dog, and my pregnant wife then began the grieving period. All very saddened by the whole situation it had been a rough couple of weeks. That is until a woman I used to see at training sessions approached me in the grocery store about how she had heard Remy was given back to the breeders to be sold and found a new home!!!! My jaw and my stomach literally dropped!! She also informed me that the reasoning behind it was pure gossip and completely false! Her attacking my character is the least of my worries, but I was shocked she would stoop so low. I was so heartbroken to find that indeed our sweet Remy girl was posted shamelessly not only on Facebook but on the company's website for sale after 11 days of being released (not nearly enough time to determine her health status). There is nothing more saddening to see that one of your family members is for sale against your will.
After a year of being thankful for the blessing Remy was we were happy to give people recommendations to the company because she is literally the best pet we ever had minus her health issues. I felt I could trust this family owned business, every staff member there had been so kind and helpful (to my face) but now my family and I have come to the realization that they are in our opinion money-driven, heartless breeders who like to double or perhaps triple their money on the creatures they pedal.
After 4 days of outreach our family has been unable to reach a resolution or justice for what has happened. We are deeply saddened that they would pass up opportunities to do the right thing (especially once caught red-handed).
It's evident that we will not be able to do much for Remy at this point but if we can save just one family from deciding to engage with such an unethical and corrupt business, then hopefully we could have saved them the heartache and attachment from a potentially fatally ill pet.
Lastly, I am sorry for such a lengthy post as you can see that I am very passionate about preventing future heartaches for other families. I am open to any questions or further communication if you should want to privately message me. Surely, my family is not the first to experience such a horrendous and emotional struggle with them. We either want our dog back, or our 5,750.00 reimbursement that they promised.
We purchased our female pup, Kenai, in 2013 from Thinschmidt Breeders. She is from Gonzo and Nikita. We had her trained by her breeders and took her home at 12 weeks of age. She has a sweet personality and a great temperament that we decided to have her trained as a Therapy Dog. She passed her CGC test at 13 months of age on her first attempt. She also passed her Therapy Dog test at 14 months of age, also on her first attempt. We couldn't be more happy.
It saddens me to see the negative reviews. Many reviews relate to hip dysplasia. Reputable breeders will study pedigrees that go as far back as great-great grand parents. This is done to reduce the the chances that your puppy will ever develop a health problem. Additionally, reputable breeders will attempt to reduce the chance of hip dysplasia in their dogs by breeding only from hip dysplasia free adults. Most of the time they are successful in doing this. This does not eliminate all chances of hip dysplasia in the offspring, however the the odds are in your favor. The more generations of hip dysplasia free dogs in the pedigree, the lower the incidence of hip dysplasia. A breeding male and female, both with good or excellent hips can produce dysplastic offspring as the condition may skip generations or skip a pup in the same litter. Reputable breeders, do not intentionally breed defective dogs. They go to great lengths to breed from the best stock.
We are pleased with Thinschmidt's breeding program. It was wonderful to be able to purchase a properly bred and socialized puppy, and have her obedience trained/crate trained by her breeders. This prevented us teaching her bad habits. We have taken advantage of the Saturday morning group classes which help reinforce what Kenai was taught. This too has allowed us to ask questions and fine tune any problem areas we may have. The Thinschmidt breeders are certified dog trainers with over 25 years experience in breeding/training. They utilize the BioSensor Program, a type of therapy which aids in neurological development. They have an "A" rating with the BBB. Look for yourself. I highly recommend Thinschmidt breeders, especially if you don't have the time to commit to proper training. GSD's can be head strong and without the proper breeding, socialization or training, you could find yourself extremely frustrated. The last thing you want is a GSD with "issues".
DYSPLASIA DOGS. STAY AWAY!! STAY FAR FAR AWAY!! ANOTHER DOG SIRED BY GONZO WITH DYSPLASIA!!!!
Our first impressions of Thinschmidts and Michele were wonderful. The training facility seemed nice and the office had pictures of several celebrities on it. Michele seemed so personable and took the time to bring several of the breeding dogs in for us to look at. She also gave us a short description of their personalities (ex Babette is their resident blonde valley girl type). We got to be puppy socializers for a bit and play with some of their current puppies. After being star struck and covered in puppies we excitedly put down our deposit and looked forward to picking up our new little family member in a few months.
At eight months old our puppy was diagnosed by a Board Certified vet with hip DYSPLASIA. We informed them immediately, as required by the contract & CA state law. Michele told me in their 30+yrs breeding they had never had a dysplasia diagnosis...which after reading reviews on YELP & other places we have found to be a very very false statement, they have been aware for years that DYSPLASIA has been running through their dogs. They said we would have to turn our dog (our family member by that time) back into them. Per CA state puppy lemon law (leginfo.ca.gov/cgi-bin/d…) it is the purchasers choice (aka OUR choice, not theirs) whether we keep our pup or turn them back into the breeder.
We requested that they follow the CA law in letting us keep our dog and they pay the medical bills we incurred up to 150% of the purchase price of the dog. Their vets agreed with our vets diagnosis of hereditary hip DYSPLASIA. Michele claimed the DYSPLASIA was "not extreme enough" to be covered by their contract. I find this sad. PER CA LAW, a puppy only has to have a hereditary condition that adversely affects the health of the dog now or is likely to in the future. DYSPLASIA no matter how mild or extreme adversely affects the health and wellbeing of the dog. There is no mention of extreme or mild in the law, the dog simply just needs to be diagnosed with it. Michele has been extremely unprofessional and at times has been outright hostile towards us. She's threatened both us and our vet.
I wish I had realized that German SV rating of FAST NORMAL is BORDERLINE in the American standards rating of the Orthopedic Foundation for Animals OFA and that most breeders will not use a Fast Normal dog in breeding due to the risks of DYSPLASIA. I would NEVER select parents that have that rating ever again. The ratings can be found on the website: offa.org . Per Thinschmidts' own website: out of their three studs, one is fast normal (Gonzo); out of 16 females, two are rated fast normal (Anica & Pallas) AND FOUR (25%) have NO ratings listed at all (Yana, Sayla, Helen & Ilka).
A puppy can never "grow out" of a DYSPLASIA diagnosis. Once diagnosed, DYSPLASIA will progressively worsen as they grow and age; it is a CHRONIC AND PROGRESSIVE hereditary disease that CANNOT be cured. Do your research before selecting a puppy!!! offa.org
Do yourself a favor & STAY FAR AWAY from this place. If you already have a deposit down on a puppy WALK AWAY trust me you don't want to have to deal with them if you too end up with a DYSLPASIA puppy or puppy with another hereditary defect. I wouldn't wish Michele and all the hell we've been through on our worst enemy. Find a reputable breeder. We gain nothing from posting our experience. Facts are facts.
Thinschmidt German Shepherds Assertive K-9 Training Reviews
My family and I are completely humbled to say that we fell into this company's trap. We trusted and recommended them to so many and we have recently come to the realization we were taken for fools. Flat out lied to on multiple occasions.
If you are looking to get completely attached to a cute, and furry German Shepherd only to go on a lengthy roller coaster of emotions by all means, this is the place to do it and suffer.
We purchased a 6 month old German Shepherd named Remy from them in September of 2013, from the very week we brought her home she had troubles eating. At that point we chalked it up to her adjusting to a new environment and were able to look past the issue and continue to bond with her. After 11 months of caring for our ill furry family member, thousands of dollars in vet bills, hundreds of hours searching forums for solutions, countless e-mails, and calls to the breeder we were still watching our poor girl wither away. The last 3 months we had her were the worst, vomiting, and expelling red jelly like diahrea every day caused her to lose over 20 pounds. As a puppy, we were shocked that she would turn up her nose to her meals, especially since she was active in our family, walking, and training.
After communicating with Michele that our vet had told us there is nothing more they can do for her or us any longer she insisted that we would re-home her with them as they had extensive insurance to get her all the care she needs. Being that she is such a kind spirited, loving animal I was very very hesitant to proceed, but Michele had assured us that she would be cared for and kept as their family pet. After a brief period of thinking over this very, very, very difficult decision I had forced myself to do the unselfish thing which was to give Remy a chance at being healed. I tearfully released Remy to Michele (without refund) as her striking blue eyes welled up with compassion she looked me straight in the eye and promised me that she would keep Remy, and that she would get her all the veterinary care she needed and that she would personally inform me on her status after 5-6 weeks.
My son, other dog, and my pregnant wife then began the grieving period. All very saddened by the whole situation it had been a rough couple of weeks. That is until a woman I used to see at training sessions approached me in the grocery store about how she had heard Remy was given back to the breeders to be sold and found a new home!!!! My jaw and my stomach literally dropped!! She also informed me that the reasoning behind it was pure gossip and completely false! Her attacking my character is the least of my worries, but I was shocked she would stoop so low. I was so heartbroken to find that indeed our sweet Remy girl was posted shamelessly not only on Facebook but on the company's website for sale after 11 days of being released (not nearly enough time to determine her health status). There is nothing more saddening to see that one of your family members is for sale against your will.
After a year of being thankful for the blessing Remy was we were happy to give people recommendations to the company because she is literally the best pet we ever had minus her health issues. I felt I could trust this family owned business, every staff member there had been so kind and helpful (to my face) but now my family and I have come to the realization that they are in our opinion money-driven, heartless breeders who like to double or perhaps triple their money on the creatures they pedal.
After 4 days of outreach our family has been unable to reach a resolution or justice for what has happened. We are deeply saddened that they would pass up opportunities to do the right thing (especially once caught red-handed).
It's evident that we will not be able to do much for Remy at this point but if we can save just one family from deciding to engage with such an unethical and corrupt business, then hopefully we could have saved them the heartache and attachment from a potentially fatally ill pet.
Lastly, I am sorry for such a lengthy post as you can see that I am very passionate about preventing future heartaches for other families. I am open to any questions or further communication if you should want to privately message me. Surely, my family is not the first to experience such a horrendous and emotional struggle with them. We either want our dog back, or our 5,750.00 reimbursement that they promised.
I highly recommend Thinschmidt breeders!
We purchased our female pup, Kenai, in 2013 from Thinschmidt Breeders. She is from Gonzo and Nikita. We had her trained by her breeders and took her home at 12 weeks of age. She has a sweet personality and a great temperament that we decided to have her trained as a Therapy Dog. She passed her CGC test at 13 months of age on her first attempt. She also passed her Therapy Dog test at 14 months of age, also on her first attempt. We couldn't be more happy.
It saddens me to see the negative reviews. Many reviews relate to hip dysplasia. Reputable breeders will study pedigrees that go as far back as great-great grand parents. This is done to reduce the the chances that your puppy will ever develop a health problem. Additionally, reputable breeders will attempt to reduce the chance of hip dysplasia in their dogs by breeding only from hip dysplasia free adults. Most of the time they are successful in doing this. This does not eliminate all chances of hip dysplasia in the offspring, however the the odds are in your favor. The more generations of hip dysplasia free dogs in the pedigree, the lower the incidence of hip dysplasia. A breeding male and female, both with good or excellent hips can produce dysplastic offspring as the condition may skip generations or skip a pup in the same litter. Reputable breeders, do not intentionally breed defective dogs. They go to great lengths to breed from the best stock.
We are pleased with Thinschmidt's breeding program. It was wonderful to be able to purchase a properly bred and socialized puppy, and have her obedience trained/crate trained by her breeders. This prevented us teaching her bad habits. We have taken advantage of the Saturday morning group classes which help reinforce what Kenai was taught. This too has allowed us to ask questions and fine tune any problem areas we may have. The Thinschmidt breeders are certified dog trainers with over 25 years experience in breeding/training. They utilize the BioSensor Program, a type of therapy which aids in neurological development. They have an "A" rating with the BBB. Look for yourself. I highly recommend Thinschmidt breeders, especially if you don't have the time to commit to proper training. GSD's can be head strong and without the proper breeding, socialization or training, you could find yourself extremely frustrated. The last thing you want is a GSD with "issues".
DYSPLASIA DOGS. STAY AWAY!! STAY FAR FAR AWAY!! ANOTHER DOG SIRED BY GONZO WITH DYSPLASIA!!!!
Our first impressions of Thinschmidts and Michele were wonderful. The training facility seemed nice and the office had pictures of several celebrities on it. Michele seemed so personable and took the time to bring several of the breeding dogs in for us to look at. She also gave us a short description of their personalities (ex Babette is their resident blonde valley girl type). We got to be puppy socializers for a bit and play with some of their current puppies. After being star struck and covered in puppies we excitedly put down our deposit and looked forward to picking up our new little family member in a few months.
At eight months old our puppy was diagnosed by a Board Certified vet with hip DYSPLASIA. We informed them immediately, as required by the contract & CA state law. Michele told me in their 30+yrs breeding they had never had a dysplasia diagnosis...which after reading reviews on YELP & other places we have found to be a very very false statement, they have been aware for years that DYSPLASIA has been running through their dogs. They said we would have to turn our dog (our family member by that time) back into them. Per CA state puppy lemon law (leginfo.ca.gov/cgi-bin/d…) it is the purchasers choice (aka OUR choice, not theirs) whether we keep our pup or turn them back into the breeder.
We requested that they follow the CA law in letting us keep our dog and they pay the medical bills we incurred up to 150% of the purchase price of the dog. Their vets agreed with our vets diagnosis of hereditary hip DYSPLASIA. Michele claimed the DYSPLASIA was "not extreme enough" to be covered by their contract. I find this sad. PER CA LAW, a puppy only has to have a hereditary condition that adversely affects the health of the dog now or is likely to in the future. DYSPLASIA no matter how mild or extreme adversely affects the health and wellbeing of the dog. There is no mention of extreme or mild in the law, the dog simply just needs to be diagnosed with it. Michele has been extremely unprofessional and at times has been outright hostile towards us. She's threatened both us and our vet.
I wish I had realized that German SV rating of FAST NORMAL is BORDERLINE in the American standards rating of the Orthopedic Foundation for Animals OFA and that most breeders will not use a Fast Normal dog in breeding due to the risks of DYSPLASIA. I would NEVER select parents that have that rating ever again. The ratings can be found on the website: offa.org . Per Thinschmidts' own website: out of their three studs, one is fast normal (Gonzo); out of 16 females, two are rated fast normal (Anica & Pallas) AND FOUR (25%) have NO ratings listed at all (Yana, Sayla, Helen & Ilka).
A puppy can never "grow out" of a DYSPLASIA diagnosis. Once diagnosed, DYSPLASIA will progressively worsen as they grow and age; it is a CHRONIC AND PROGRESSIVE hereditary disease that CANNOT be cured. Do your research before selecting a puppy!!! offa.org
Do yourself a favor & STAY FAR AWAY from this place. If you already have a deposit down on a puppy WALK AWAY trust me you don't want to have to deal with them if you too end up with a DYSLPASIA puppy or puppy with another hereditary defect. I wouldn't wish Michele and all the hell we've been through on our worst enemy. Find a reputable breeder. We gain nothing from posting our experience. Facts are facts.